The Ordinary Vegan - Linda McCartney Sausage Rolls

Hi, Vegan Vox is back from a week off and raring to go! For this week's TOV I'm sharing a great quick baked snack, ideal for lunchboxes, parties and a quick easy lunch.

Linda McCartney vegetarian sausage rolls are sold in the frozen section of many supermarkets and Holland & Barrett. They are priced at around £2 for 6 rolls. They are free from artificial colours, flavours and preservatives and are labelled as vegan-friendly on the front of the box too. 

They are so simple to make, just place on a baking tray, brush with a little vegan milk and bake in a preheated oven until browned.

They colour well and puff up nicely when baked. They can be cut into quarters to make mini sausage rolls for children or for finger buffets.

What is your favourite Linda McCartney vegan-friendly product? Let me know in the comments below.

If home cooking from scratch is more your thing, please pop back tomorrow for a brand new Vegan Recipe of the Week!

Big Vegan Love,

VVx

Vegan Vox Reviews...Meridian Nut Butters

Recently, I was lucky enough to be sent some delicious jars of Meridian nut butters to sample for my blog and I couldn't wait to share them with you. I love the range Meridian have, they do not use any palm oil in their nut and seed butters, they only contain natural ingredients and they have an organic range available as well. I was sent a jar of their Smooth Cashew Butter, Smooth Peanut Butter and Smooth Almond Butter. 

My favourite was the almond butter, it was delicious spread on crackers, bagels and as an ingredient in my homemade almond and oat cookies. It uses roasted almonds and this really brings out the flavour of the nuts.

The peanut butter was salty and smooth, just right for toast and I used some a in stir fry sauce with tahini, soy sauce, chilli and ginger.

And finally the cashew butter, which I used in some flapjacks, on bagels, and in some protein balls. It was lovely. Mild taste and a lovely natural sweetness. Goes really well with coconut flavours in baking.

Meridian's butters only use nuts and seeds and contain no added ingredients, they are high in protein and they never use palm oil. They are suitable for vegans, vegetarians and are gluten-free, soya-free and GMO-free. They come in smooth and crunchy varieties and are perfect on their own or as an ingredient in vegan recipes, savoury and sweet. Meridian nut and seed butters are available at selected Sainsbury's, Ocado, Holland and Barrett, Tesco, Morrisons and independent health food shops and start at around £2.30 a jar. There is a link to stockists on their website.

Have you tried any of the Meridian Foods Nut and Seed Butters? What are your favourites? What recipes do you use them in? Let me know in the comments below.

Big Vegan Love,

VVx

Vegan Recipe of the Week - Mandarin Cheesecake

This week's recipe is perfect for a dinner party. You can make these the night before or in the morning and just decorate them before your guests arrive. 

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the Base:

8 digestive biscuits

55g vegan butter - I used hard Stork

1 Tbsp golden syrup

For the Filling:

100g icing sugar

1 tub Tofutti Cream Cheese - plain

1 small orange/tangerine

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 Tbsp corn flour

1 Tbsp coconut oil

1 Tbsp almond milk

For the topping:

1 small tin of mandarins in juice, drained

Method:

Take the digestive biscuits, break them into quarters and put them into a food processor.

Pulse for around 20-30 seconds until crumbs.

Pour the biscuit crumbs into a mixing bowl.

Next, take the butter and golden syrup and warm over a low heat in a saucepan. Stir until melted and combined.

Pour the melted butter mixture into the mixing bowl with your digestive crumbs and stir to combine all of the mixture.

Take four deep ramekins and divide the mixture evenly between them. Press down with the back of a teaspoon until the mixture is firmly packed into the bottom of each dish.

Place the ramekins into the fridge for half an hour.

In a mixer bowl, place the icing sugar, vegan cream cheese, the zest and juice of a small orange, the vanilla extract, corn flour and almond milk. Warm up the coconut oil in a saucepan until liquid and add to the bowl. Starting off slowly with the whisk attachment, whisk the ingredients together until they are fully combined and a thick paste consistency.

Spoon the mixture into your chilled ramekins on top of your biscuit base. Smooth over the top and chill in the fridge for 5-8 hours or overnight.

Once chilled and set, remove the cheesecakes from the fridge and drain a small tin of mandarins.

Lay the mandarins on top of each cheesecake in an overlapping circle with a small mandarin piece in the centre.

Eat straight away or return to the fridge until ready to eat.

Eat and enjoy!

If you enjoyed this recipe, please share it with your friends and comment below. Click here to see more of my recipes.

Big Vegan Love,

VVx

The Ordinary Vegan - Stir Fry Sauces

I love a stir-fry, they are healthy and quick and taste great. This week's TOV is looking at vegan-friendly stir-fry sauces. A couple of my favourites are Amoy Chow Mein Stir Fry Sauce and Blue Dragon Chow Mein Stir Fry Sauce.

There are many varieties to choose from and most of them are vegan-friendly. The Blue Dragon ones actually label vegan on the front to make it easier. A stir-fry is a great way to use up left over veggies. I love peppers, onions, water chestnuts, mange tout, mushrooms and tofu in mine along with some udon or rice noodles and you have a perfect quick meal. These sauces are sold at all supermarkets and Asian shops for between 65p-£1.

What are your favourite stir-fry combinations? Let me know in the comments below.

If you like tasty vegan recipes come back every Tuesday for my Vegan Recipe of the Week.

Big Vegan Love,

VVx

Vegan Recipe of the Week - Spicy Organic Carrot Soup

This is such a simple recipe, and great when you fancy something warming and nourishing. Makes a lovely lunch with a homemade bread roll, or as a starter.

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

5-6 organic carrots, peeled and sliced

1 large organic onion, peeled and diced

750ml vegetable stock

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp dried parsley

1 Tbsp Henderson's Relish (or Vegan Worcestershire sauce)

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Prepare the vegetables and make up the stock.

In a large saucepan heat the olive oil and sauté the onion until soft.

Then add the carrots to the saucepan.

Next add the stock to the pan.

Bring to the boil and then add the herbs, spices, sauce and seasonings. Stir thoroughly, cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Take the soup off the heat. Using a hand blender, blend until smooth. At this point, if the soup is too thick for your liking add boiling water until at a consistency you prefer.

This soup keeps in the fridge for 72 hours and can be frozen. I make double portions and freeze the rest so I always have a homemade soup on hand.

Eat and Enjoy!

If you enjoyed this recipe, please click here to see my other recipes.

Big Vegan Love,

VVx

The Ordinary Vegan - Wheat Crunchies - Crispy Bacon Flavour

This week on The Ordinary Vegan, is the turn of Wheat Crunchies. The Crispy Bacon flavour is vegan-friendly and they come in single flavour multi packs at most of the supermarkets and Home Bargains. They can often be found on offer for around £1-£1.50 for a pack of 6.

Wheat Crunchies launched in the 1980s, disappeared for a while and was relaunched in 2012. These snacks are made by KP Snacks and contain no MSG, no artificial colours or flavourings, and are cooked in sunflower oil. Please note their other flavours are vegetarian but not vegan.

These are a lovely treat with a sandwich or salad and remind me of my childhood.

What surprising snacks and crisps have you found out are vegan? Share in the comments below.

Come back tomorrow for a delicious Vegan Recipe of the Week.

Big Vegan Love,

VVx